Rolling or tilting responsible switch

Abstract

A roll or tilt responsive switch includes a housing formed from an electrically conductive material and having an inclined face formed on the bottom to gradually rise concentrically outwardly substantially from the center of the bottom, and a header fixed to the housing to close its open end and having a through-aperture in which a terminal pin is fixed in an insulated relation. A contact is fixed to an end of the terminal pin located inside the housing and has a plurality of feather portions each having a predetermined elasticity and disposed concentrically with the terminal pin. An inertia ball is enclosed in the housing to be located substantially at the center in the housing in a normal position of the switch in a stationary state. The inertia ball rolls when subjected to oscillations, so that the inertia ball slides on the feather portions of the contact except for distal ends of the feather portions such that the inertia ball electrically conducts between the contact and the housing and such that the feather portions are elastically deformed, thereby receiving a force pushing the inertia ball against the bottom of the housing.

We claim: 
     
       1. A rolling or tilting responsive switch comprising: a) a housing formed from an electrically conductive material and having a bottom and an open end, the housing having in the bottom a central neutral recess and a rolling face around the recess such that the bottom is formed into the shape of a shelf;   b) a header fixed to the housing to close the open end thereof and having a through-aperture in which an electrically conductive terminal pin is fixed in an insulated relation with the header;   c) a contact member formed from an electrically conductive material and fixed to an end of the terminal pin located inside the housing, the contact member having a contact portion disposed concentrically with the terminal pin and a plurality of feather portions each having a predetermined elasticity; and   d) an inertia ball enclosed in the housing to be located at the recess of the housing bottom in a normal attitude thereof in a stationary state by gravity such that the inertia ball is prevented from being brought into contact with the contact member, the rolling face of the bottom of the housing being formed so that the same rises concentrically outwardly from the center of the bottom thereof and so that a gradient thereof is decreased, the inertia ball being prevented from rolling on the rolling face of the housing bottom by the neutral recess thereof until the housing is tilted by a predetermined angle, thereby being disallowed to come into contact with the contact member, the inertia ball being allowed to depart the neutral recess to thereby roll on the rolling face when the housing is tilted above the predetermined angle, so that the inertia ball is brought into contact with the contact member, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the housing.   
     
     
       2. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 1, wherein the neutral recess has such a dimension that the inertia ball is allowed to roll on the housing bottom in a range defined by a peripheral wall of the neutral recess in a normal state of the inertia ball. 
     
     
       3. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 1, wherein the header seals the housing. 
     
     
       4. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 2, wherein the contact member is brought into contact with the inertia ball except for a distal end thereof. 
     
     
       5. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 1, wherein the header seals the housing and a pollution preventing gas is contained in the sealed housing. 
     
     
       6. A rolling or tilting responsive switch comprising: a) a housing formed from an electrically conductive material and having a bottom and an open end, the housing having in the bottom a central neutral recess and a rolling face around the recess such that the bottom is formed into the shape of a shelf;   b) a header fixed to the housing to close the open end thereof and having a through-aperture in which an electrically conductive terminal pin is fixed in an insulated relation with the header;   c) a contact member formed from an electrically conductive material and fixed to an end of the terminal pin located inside the housing, the contact member having a contact portion disposed concentrically with the terminal pin;   d) an inertia ball enclosed in the housing to be located at the recess of the housing bottom in a normal attitude thereof in a stationary state by gravity such that the inertia ball is prevented from being brought into contact with the contact member, the rolling face of the bottom of the housing being formed so that the same rises concentrically outwardly from the center of the bottom thereof and so that a gradient thereof is decreased, the inertia ball being prevented from rolling on the rolling face of the housing bottom by the neutral recess thereof until the housing is tilted by a predetermined angle, thereby being disallowed to come into contact with the contact member, the inertia ball being allowed to depart the neutral recess to thereby roll on the rolling face when the housing is tilted above the predetermined angle, so that the inertia ball is brought into contact with the contact member, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the housing; and   e) a protector provided in the vicinity of a portion of the terminal pin where the contact member is secured and having a predetermined rigidity for preventing permanent deformation of the contact member due to collision with the inertia ball.   
     
     
       7. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 6, wherein the neutral recess has such a dimension that the inertia ball is allowed to roll on the housing bottom in a range defined by a peripheral wall of the neutral recess in a normal state of the inertia ball. 
     
     
       8. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 6, wherein the header seals the housing. 
     
     
       9. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 6, wherein the header seals the housing and a pollution preventing gas is contained in the sealed housing. 
     
     
       10. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 6, wherein the contact member is brought into contact with the inertia ball except for a distal end thereof. 
     
     
       11. A rolling or tilting responsive switch comprising: a) a housing formed from an electrically conductive material and having a bottom and an open end, the housing having in the bottom a central neutral recess and a rolling face around the recess such that the bottom is formed into the shape of a shelf;   b) a header fixed to the housing to close the open end thereof for sealing the housing and having a through-aperture in which an electrically conductive terminal pin is fixed in an insulated relation with the header;   c) a contact member formed from an electrically conductive material and fixed to an end of the terminal pin located inside the housing, the contact member having a contact portion disposed concentrically with the terminal pin; and   d) an inertia ball enclosed in the housing to be located at the recess of the housing bottom in a normal attitude thereof in a stationary state by gravity such that the inertia ball is prevented from being brought into contact with the contact member, the rolling face of the bottom of the housing being formed so that the same rises concentrically outwardly from the center of the bottom thereof and so that a gradient thereof is decreased, the inertia ball being prevented from rolling on the rolling face of the housing bottom by the neutral recess thereof until the housing is tilted by a predetermined angle, thereby being disallowed to come into contact with the contact member, the inertia ball being allowed to depart the neutral recess to thereby roll on the rolling face when the housing is tilted above the predetermined angle, so that the inertia ball is brought into contact with the contact member, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the housing;   wherein a surface treatment is applied to a surface of the inertia ball and at least a portion of each of the contact member and the inner surface of the housing with which portion the inertia ball comes into contact, for permitting electrical conduction of the inertia ball and preventing said portion of each of the contact member and the inner surface of the housing from being damaged by an atmosphere in which the device is used.   
     
     
       12. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 11, wherein the neutral recess has such a dimension that the inertia ball is allowed to roll on the housing bottom in a range defined by a peripheral wall of the neutral recess in a normal state of the inertia ball. 
     
     
       13. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 11, wherein the header seals the housing. 
     
     
       14. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 11, wherein the header seals the housing and a pollution preventing gas is contained in the sealed housing. 
     
     
       15. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 11, wherein the contact member is brought into contact with the inertia ball except for a distal end thereof. 
     
     
       16. A rolling or tilting responsive switch comprising: a) a housing formed from an electrically conductive material and having a bottom and an open end., the housing having in the bottom a central neutral recess and a rolling face around the recess such that the bottom is formed into the shape of a shelf;   b) a header fixed to the housing to close the open end thereof for sealing the housing and having a through-aperture in which an electrically conductive terminal pin is fixed in an insulated relation with the header;   c) a contact member formed from an electrically conductive material and fixed to an end of the terminal pin located inside the housing, the contact member having a contact portion disposed concentrically with the terminal pin;   d) an inertia ball enclosed in the housing to be located at the recess of the housing bottom in a normal attitude thereof in a stationary state by gratuity such that the inertia ball is prevented from being brought into contact with the contact member, the rolling face of the bottom of the housing being formed so that the same rises concentrically outwardly from the center of the bottom thereof and so that a gradient thereof is decreased, the inertia ball being prevented from rolling on the rolling face of the housing bottom by the neutral recess thereof until the housing is tilted by a predetermined angle, thereby being disallowed to come into contact with the contact member, the inertia ball being allowed to depart the neutral recess to thereby roll on the rolling face when the housing is tilted above the predetermined angle, so that the inertia ball is brought into contact with the contact member, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the housing; and   e) a pollution preventing gas contained in the sealed housing.   
     
     
       17. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 16, wherein the neutral recess has such a dimension that the inertia ball is allowed to roll on the housing bottom in a range defined by a peripheral wall of the neutral recess in a normal state of the inertia ball. 
     
     
       18. A rolling or tilting responsive switch according to claim 16, wherein the contact member is brought into contact with the inertia ball except for a distal end thereof.